Investor relations officers are becoming increasingly interested in using social media to communicate with investors, analysts and the financial media. Yet, one of the challenges faced by IROs communicating through social media is what to post and how to leverage the accounts as part of an overall investor relations strategy.This is an especially acute issue when an organization is undergoing a transaction. Depending on the size and type of transaction, some companies might be tempted to go quiet on social media during this period. But actually, in transaction situations, it is especially important to communicate with authenticity and transparency to the Street, and a social media presence can help you do that.You don't have to start from scratch, either. Here are a few best practices for leveraging social media during a transaction:Start before you need itDeveloping and implementing a social media strategy before you are in deal mode is critical. You will want to have an established presence that investors and other members of the financial community are able to access easily. Twitter is the best account for IR on social media because it doesn't require a lot of original content or engagement; instead, think of it as a news clipping service. Know what is being said about your companyThis is a general best practice, because conversations are occurring about your company whether or not you are involved. But it's especially important to know what's being said during a transaction, even if you don't plan to engage. Having an active presence, however, adds your perspective to the overall conversation. Post links and content from news releasesWhile posting the link to any news release about transactions is acceptable, you also can go a step further and post some of the content from the release. In particular, executive quotes from the release help personalize the message and boost transparency. Repurposing content from the release is an easy way to develop tweets without worrying about inadvertent disclosures of non-public information.Supplement with additional content where you canIf the transaction warrants a conference call, live-tweet it. If you are referencing the transaction on a later earnings call or at an investor day, re-share the release to remind followers what you are talking about. Leverage videos, images or microsites about the transaction that you already have produced. As a study released last month by The Brunswick Group confirmed, digital and social media are growing in importance as information sources for the investment community. Perhaps the most interesting data point from the 2014 study on the use of digital and social media by the investment community is that 21% of investors believe digital media will “definitely” play an increasing role in future investment decisions, while 47% think it “probably” will. Whether you're in the middle of a transaction or just focusing on day-to-day investor relations, consider taking advantage of social media to tell your story and boost transparency. It's simply one more way to communicate your strategy and point of view to the Street.

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